‘You need to stop saying RATs for kids is child abuse’

Many parents are up in arms about RATs for schoolchildren and there’s one phrase doing the rounds on social media that needs to stop.

OPINION

It’s a week until term one starts for the 2022 school year and some state governments have announced controversial plans that involve school students being required to undertake a minimum of two rapid antigen tests (RATs) a week.

Once the announcement was made, there was an outcry. Facebook forums went nuts. Comments were in overdrive.

Parents. Are. Mad

But my question to them is this: Why?

There is a global pandemic. Millions have this disease. People are literally dying every day. And you’re complaining that you’re required to test your child to prevent further spread?

Is this situation ideal, of course not. But this is unprecedented.

Many parents are mad that their schoolchildren will need to undertake two RATs a week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

There really is no ideal situation, is there?

And before you ask – yes, I have children. Yes, they go to school and yes, they’ll be taking the tests.

Do they like this? Absolutely not. They’ve had PCRs and RATs and they despise them.

I am their mother, and it is my job to protect them. If this is what it takes to protect them then so be it.

And even more than that, as a member of society it’s my job to try and stop the spread.

I would hate for my child to unknowingly have Covid and attend school only to give to a special needs friend, an elderly teacher, or a classmate with an ill parent.

On the reverse side, I’d hate for a classmate of my children come to school with Covid only for my family, included my unvaccinated baby, to catch it.

I’ve seen a lot of very dramatic posts on social channels about how this is child abuse.

Let’s make something clear – a RAT is not child abuse.

A RAT is a medical procedure and it’s one that officials have deemed the everyday citizen can complete on their own.

These are unprecedented times which means parents and kids need to adapt. Picture: lithiumcloud / iStock

I think calling it child abuse shows a complete lack of understanding of what actual child abuse is and utter disrespect for what actual child abuse victims and survivors go through.

When older kids – I have four kids ranging from 10-months-old to 13 years – brought up the topic, the conversation went like this.

“Mum did you hear we have to have two RATs every week at school?”

“Yep.”

“That sucks.”

“Yep. Sure does.”

The end.

No drama. No fuss. No screaming about it being horrible. It just is.

Does it suck? Yes. But do they still have to do it? Yes.

Society is run by rules. Our entire lives are governed by rules – we can’t drive cars as fast as we want, we can’t steal food and drink and we can’t drink alcohol or smoke until a certain age.

We drive on government roads mandated by government rules in cars that follow government safety regulations.

And the thing many people forget is – rules change.

There was a time when, as a woman, I wouldn’t be able to have this opinion published in a mainstream publication.

Not that long ago I could turn my child’s car seat forward before he could sit up. Not even much before that car seats didn’t even exist.

We’ve had a form of immunisation program in place in Australia since 1978 and over the years it has grown and changed as new medical discoveries and advancements are made.

Rules change. And the rules are changing.

It happens.

While no one wants their child to go through a PDR test or RAT, it needs to happen. Picture: JackGuez / AFP

Right now we are in the midst of a pandemic that has broken all the rules and changed our way of life forever. The reality is, school will not go back to the way it was. Not tomorrow, not next week, and probably not even next year.

Just like dealing with the pandemic and showing resilience and strength over the past two years, we can show our kids that we can be resilient again as we navigate a much more complicated return to school than we’ve ever had.

And importantly, we can set an example.

Do I like the Covid tests? God no. They suck. I swear the PCR I had this week poked my brain.

Unfortunately, this just is the world we live in now. Is it easy giving a RAT to a special-needs child? No. Is it easy giving a RAT to a teenager? No. Is it fun? No. But is it in their best interest and trying to keep them safe? Yes.

It’s important to remember that this rule, too, is likely to change. It’s not indefinite.

Covid has changed everything, and this is no different. We can only do the best we can to navigate the complicated world we now live in. If that involves trying to keep my kids safe by doing two RATs a week then I am happy to do that.

Lisa Almond is a freelance writer.